


Growing Together - The whole story

by ChillMalDigga



Series: Growing Together [2]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Competition, Kids to Teens to Adults, M/M, Novice/Junior/Senior competition, Rivalry, Rivals, Rivals to Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Sports Injury, Viktor with K, figure skating, same age Yuuri/Viktor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-22 04:48:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11960040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChillMalDigga/pseuds/ChillMalDigga
Summary: Being head to head in competitions doesn't only entertain the audience but firing up the competitors too. The rivalry between Yuuri Katsuki and Viktor Nikiforov is legendary in the ice skating scene and the main topic of many sports discussion since their junior days, but what happens if the rivals grow closer together due to their shared passion for their sport? An injury could end everything they worked for…





	1. The beginning of all

_It all began with a simple push. A push that brought me to where I am today. It led me to the love of my life. My name is Yuuri Katsuki; I am 27 years old and this is my story…_

Yuuri Katsuki. He came from a family that owned an onsen in Hasetsu in Japan. He was a bit of a chubby kid with raven hair and chocolate brown colored eyes. Yuuri was one of the sensitive kind of kid, always worried what others thought about him. His parents never pushed him to man up. He was just a frightened child and they would support him with everything they had.

It wasn’t that surprising when Yuuri, only 4 years old, wanted to start some kind of sport. Most kids started at that age and even if he was a shy one, he got some curiosity in him. That is where Minako Okukawa came into young Yuuri’s life. It wasn’t like he didn’t know here before, she came often to visit the inn and she and Mari, Yuuri’s older sister, got along well. She was invited to a dinner with the Katsuki’s and Yuuri’s mother, Hiroko, brought up if Yuuri had thought about what kind of sport he wanted to go on with but Yuuri just shook his head. Minako shot forward, seeing her chance to raise her own protégé.

It ended with Yuuri starting to take ballet lessons. He lost a lot of weight in two years, getting into a decent shape but the baby fat still clung. He was good. He never really complained when Minako put him through some harder lessons than the rest of his age group. He didn’t really go along with the other kids, most of them were girls who still thought boys were icky, and Yuuri often could feel their jealousy because he was praised by their sensei more than them.

In his second year into ballet, Yuuri started to go to school. He was seated in the front row next to a chatty kid, but he couldn’t relate to the kid and just nodded whenever the other boy asked for his opinion. Yuuri had a hard time to get a connection to the other children because he wasn’t like them. Most of them were taller than him and bragged about soccer or other rough sports and the girls in his class didn’t bother to talk to boys at all. It annoyed the raven haired boy that the other kids would constantly tease him during the breaks. They called him a girl and shoved him around. The worst of them was the tallest brute going by the name Takeshi Nishigori.  
And for the first time in Yuuri’s life, someone not from his family stood up for him.

Her name was Yuuko. She was a brunette girl and had a fiery temperament in her. She saw the boys shoving a smaller boy around and got angry. Yuuko dismissed herself from the group of girls she was talking to and walked up to the pile of boys, forcing her way to the helpless kid and shielding him from more attacks. She shouted at them and forcefully shoved Takeshi away from Yuuri who seemed to get frightened with every passing second, but he didn’t flee or cry and was surprised to see Yuuko who offered to talk with him after the boys left muttering.  
  
Yuuko was tomboyish and bubbly. After a while of her constant talking, Yuuri started to open up to her because she showed serious interest in him and he kind of liked her attention. He told her that he did ballet and that’s why the others called him names, but to his surprise, Yuuko just squealed and told him that it was great that he liked dancing.

Yuuri and she became friends after that. It still unnerved the young raven haired boy that Takeshi clung to Yuuko ever since she stood up to him, but Takeshi didn’t try to bully him openly and Yuuri honestly was fine with that.

Autumn came, Yuuri was one of the best in academics in his class and Minako was pleased that he did well in ballet. Yuuko still talked a lot to him and they got close enough that Yuuko, and even Takeshi, sometimes stayed over. They played regularly together or just talked.  
One day Yuuko came up to him and surprised Yuuri. She asked if he wanted to go Ice Skating with her because her parents would open the rink to the begin of the new season. Yuuri sputtered, nervous like ever when he was introduced to something new, but he agreed after Yuuko convinced him that she would teach him how to skate.

Yuuri told his parents that evening that he was invited by Yuuko to go Ice Skating on Friday after school, and to his surprise, his sensei Minako, who was kind of a family member by now, uttered that he should do that and that he sure would do good on the ice. It was confusing for him to understand what she meant but whenever his sensei showed so much interest in his activity it scared him.

Friday came faster than Yuuri thought and Yuuko dragged him right after school to the ice rink, silently followed by Takeshi. He was invited too. The trio was greeted by Yuuko’s parents who every one of the kids a pair of skates that fitted them. They asked if they could help with something but Yuuko told them she would show Yuuri how to skate and no one else. They were taken aback by their daughter but laughed and gave the kids free reign over the still for the public closed rink.

Yuuko shoved the slightly frightened Yuuri in front of her to the rink and seated him on a bench. She ignored Takeshi who seemed to be familiar with ice skating because the taller boy put his skates on like a pro and skated off. She helped the raven haired boy to put on the shoes and walked with him to the rink. Yuuri wobbled on his legs. It wasn’t a feeling he was used too, balancing his weight differently than he had ever done before, but thankfully his coordination helped him and he walked to the rink door with her as support.

“Put the guards off the blades. Wait, I’ll go first to help you.” Yuuko said. She went on the ice and made a place for Yuuri to step on it too. He was frightened to fall. It seemed really slippery and he knew his luck to fall head first onto it. The raven haired boy trusted his friend to catch him and slowly stepped onto the ice. Yuuko guided him through the first steps, helping him up once or twice after he fell, but soon Yuuri was fascinated.  
He went bold and left Yuuko’s side pretty fast, skating on his own, trying how to skate faster or stop. Yuuko was shocked that the always so shy and frightened boy would just leave her like that but soon she started to see that her friend looked like he was free, free from every kind of pressure and anxiety that lurked around him. Takeshi glided to her side and they just watched how Yuuri went on and picked himself up whenever one of his bold moves got him toppled over.

“Yuuko!” Her mother called her and she glided over to her.

“Okaa-san, you want something from me?” the brunette girl asked and her mother nodded.

“You said that it was Yuuri-kun’s first time on the ice? He is a natural. Still a bit wobbly on his legs but as soon as he gets used to the ice he’ll grow into a fine skater.” Her mother said and Yuuko’s eyes went wide. Both her parents were national high ranked skaters in their prime and for them to actually praise someone was rare.

“You think so? Yuuri-kun is doing ballet right now but maybe he’ll do more skating in future!” Yuuko chirped happily and her mother nodded.

“Ballet is a good funding for figure skating. He should keep doing that too. Your friend is still a bit chubby, so doing two sports at the same time isn’t going to hurt him.” Yuuko’s mother chuckled and Yuuko agreed with her.

She was happy to see her friend being free and Yuuko knew she started something big. The shy and angst ridden boy is going to be a legend on the ice.

* * *

  _A trip to the rink and I was fascinated. The ice would be my new home, helping me in the long run to find the love of my life. I am Viktor Nikiforov, 27 years old and this is my story_

Russia is an unforgiving country. Viktor felt it the hard way. For the first six years of life, he grew up with his grandparents. They loved him and tried to make him happy with everything they could give him but his grandmother became ill and died shortly after that. His grandfather faltered with the death of his wife and the government didn’t saw him fit enough to care for a child so they took Viktor away and put him in an orphanage.

The silver haired boy never felt welcomed there. There weren’t many children his age, either younger, too young to talk, or already in their teens. The teenagers often teased him because of his exotic looks, pulling on his hair or calling him all sorts of names. He hated it when they did it and their caretaker would just ignore it. He should man up, one of them said after Viktor came to him, crying after yet another verbal attack.

It was a hard time for him. He didn’t talk much to the other kids. Whenever school is out he would do his homework and hide somewhere with the stuffed poodle he found. It hurt him that he couldn’t see his grandfather. And it hurt him that because of his exotic looks most of the pairs who wanted to adopt a child overlooked him. No one wanted a skinny and gray-haired child. It wasn’t his fault that he was born like that!

One day everything should turn in his favor.

Shortly after New Year, the orphanage was offered to go to the public rink with the kids because Russia still supported sports highly. For Viktor, it was something completely new. A field trip to the ice rink was his opportunity to see the outside – the world a bit more. The bullies even forgot him in their excitement and so he had a rather good day in a long time. It would be his first time on the ice but he wouldn’t let it hinder him to feel a bit of the freedom that was taken from him.

At first, he needed some time to adjust to the new ground underneath his feet. He skated slowly, testing limits and how everything worked. It took him an hour to finally do his first round alone. He got bold, skated faster and grinned cockily at his bullies who were surprised that Viktor skated around them like he had done it for years.

It was a long time since he could laugh that freely, enjoy himself and letting his emotion run free. Every time he fell he picked himself up again, the first time he needed a bit advice, but with every fall he returned and enjoyed the skating.

Little did Viktor know that under the bystanders on the ranks around the rink talent scouts watched out for new athletes. One of these scouts was none other than Yakov Feltsman, an already widely known coach for figure skaters. Unlike his colleagues, who had dismissed the silver haired boy as soon as they saw that he had never seen ice before, or even stood on it, he kept an eye on the young lad. Yakov saw the potential because the boy wanted to do it on his own, didn’t ask for help the first few steps. It was a slow beginning, but Yakov sat the whole hour on his place and observed the shy attempts that slowly build up into movements. The coach inwardly cheered with the boy when he to his first round. The moves, rough at the edges, were good and stable for a beginner and the boy had a clear talent.

When a middle-aged woman ushered the kids from the ice to give their skates back he approached her. She was surprised when he introduced himself as an established coach, but soon her face softened and she watched the bunch of kids. It was rare that one of them got picked out and she asked Yakov which one of these rascals was good enough to get his interest.

“The gray haired boy… Was this his first time on ice?” The middle-aged coach asked and the woman shrugged.

“Most likely. We don’t know much about him because he doesn’t talk much.” She said and sighed.

“He is a natural. I want him in the sports center. Is it possible that I can become his legal guardian? I’ve another boy under my care and I think that they might become good friends.” Yakov asked and she nodded. The caretaker gave the coach the address to their orphanage and then brought the kids to the waiting bus.

Nearly a month later Viktor stood in front of the sports center of St. Petersburg. He was tired from a long drive and missed the old stuffed poodle that he couldn’t take with him, but somehow he felt great too. He got away from the bullies and that Yakov person seemed to be good. Yakov told him right away that their relationship would solely be one of student and coach, not more and not less and that he needed to take his training and studies serious.

For Viktor it offered the freedom he missed in the orphanage. The students of this facility could go to training after their studies, most of them had extra schedules from their coaches, but on their free time, they could wander the city when they were old enough or had the permission. Sometimes the coaches would take them out and show them different places for training or competitions. They would make trips to the competitions of older members of the center and watch them compete.

Most of all there were a lot of people with exotic looks. He wasn’t so much different anymore and no one tried to bully him.

“Vitya, come. I want you to meet Georgi. You are going to share a room with him.” Yakov told him with a stern voice and Viktor followed him, suppressing the need skip happily next to Yakov. Once they reached the room Yakov knocked at the door and a young voice told them to enter.

“Hello, Georgi. I told you about Viktor, didn’t I? I would like you to welcome him because he is going to stay and train with you. He still needs to catch up some things but soon you’ll have a good rink-mate.” Yakov introduced Georgi to Viktor and the boys smiled shyly at each other.

It was the start of a long friendship… and the birth of another legend on ice.


	2. Competition harden us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first competition for both!

Yuuri was 8 when he skated his first competition. It was a local thing, kids from the towns near Hasetsu would come to the rink and skate. For Yuuri, it was the first time that he met with other children who shared their sport, unlike the boys in his class.  
For the first time, he wore some kind of costume. It was an outfit that showed that he took ballet lessons, it was all black and he looked like a danseur on ice.  
Minako had fussed over him the whole time, being proud that she could see her loyal pupil compete. It might not be ballet but still, Yuuri would be a great dancer on the ice. She was sure about it.

Yuuri was somehow happy about the distraction. The other kids started to be mean to him, calling him fatty. The raven haired child knew that he wasn’t as thin as he should for figure skating, but he was by no means to chubby. It was just the baby fat that refused to go and it most likely would stay that way until he hit puberty. He clung to Minako, because of his ‘coaches’, Yuuko’s parents were busy to manage the competition. For the first time the rink didn’t feel homey like it used to be ever since he started to learn who to do jumps and spins. And to make it worse, he was the youngest. The older kids looked more like skaters than him, having all kind of expensive costumes.

No one knew that Yuuri suffered his first panic attack that time. It was a harmless on, but his mind run a thousand times. He knew that his parents and sister were somewhere in the crowd and rooting for him. He didn’t want to let them down! His parents did so much that he could train nearly every day after school, the Hamasakis took their time to teach him everything they knew and wouldn’t be too hard on his still growing body.

“…Yuuri!”, Minako shouted at him and he was ripped out of his running thoughts. He blinked at her and she looked concerned.

“You frightened me, Yuuri. What’s going on with you? Normally you would be more happy to skate.” His ballet instructor said and kneed down to him to look him into the eyes.

“I…I am afraid sensei? What happens when I fall? Or fail at all? Kaa-chan and Tou-san are watching… I don’t want to embarrass them.” He cried and Minako’s response was to hug him.

“Everything is going to be all right Yuu-chan. You trained hard, didn’t you?”

He nodded, pressing his hands over his eyes to whip away the tears.

“You know your program inside out?” She continued to ask and he nodded again.

“Then there is nothing that should hold you back. Let the others talk, you are the best damn figure skater in Kyushu.” She told him and Yuuri looked up to her, his face changing into a teary smile.

“You believe in me?” He asked again and she nodded.

“Show these kids that you are a great danseur and an even better skater.”

Yuuri took the ice just seconds after that. The song ‘ _A town with an ocean view’_  from the Ghibli movie ‘ _Kiki’s delivery service’_  sounded over the speakers and every fear was gone. Yuuri lost himself in his routine, imagined the movie playing in front of his eyes. He loved the movie and the music was enthralling.

Yuuri ended up winning the little event. For his age and size, he was more fluid and graceful in his routine than the older kids who suddenly didn’t try to pick on him.

*’*

The next time Yuuri competed was when he became ten and joined the novice class. It was the first time that he visited another rink too. The JSF invited young promising skaters from all around Japan, after viewing videos that their coaches made. It was the easiest way to get recognized by the officials without having to compete through whole Japan at first.  
Yuuri was about to make his national debut in his favorite sport. And he was nervous. He had grown a lot since his first competition, having fought his classmates a lot of times that he would show them. He wouldn’t give up and one day he would skate with the big names.

Tokyo was an experience Yuuri wouldn’t miss. The capital of Japan was amazing and the rink was modern. Yuuko’s mother had accompanied him as his coach, followed by Minako who was there as his choreographer and ‘family support’. He knew, sooner than later that his parents and his sister couldn’t come to every competition he would take part in. They had a business to run and his sister needed to school. He got the days of competition off because, naturally, his school would sponsor every kind of sports competition.

The young skater was a bit taller but whenever he looked into the mirror the baby-fat still clung to him and he looked younger than the others. He was glad that the chubbiness started to disappear, at least around his stomach, because this time his costume was daring. It resembled the clothes that San of the  _‘Princess Mononoke’_  movie. The movie just came out but he wanted to skate to ‘ _Legend of Ashitaka’_ in his free skate.

With 10 years Yuuri was the youngest novice to take part in the competition but it didn’t bother him as much as back in his first competition. No, it made him brave this time around. He wanted to become an official skater for the JSF and start his career as an athlete. Maybe he would get a stipend when he got older, so much would depend on it. The JSF would cover some of his costs for traveling and he wouldn’t need to lay on his parents money that much.

Yuuri chooses the advanced novice class. It was more demanding, he needed a short program and a free skate, but it would prepare him for later events in juniors.  
For his free Yuuri choose another Ghibli themed song. The theme of ‘ _Castle in the Sky’_  rang through the rink and he performed his program. It was a bit flawed, he stumbled after one single-toe and had a hard time to find back into his routine.  
The boy from Hasetsu placed 5th from over 20 novice skaters after his short program. Minako was proud and Ms. Hamasaki was happy with her pupil. Placing 5th in a big national competition at the first try was nothing to not to be proud of.

Yuuri’s anxiety came full force on the next day. He would go in as the fifth in his group, which gave him too much time to let his mind run wild again and he choked for air, gripping Minako’s sleeve crying in front of her. She gave him another though-talk and at the end Yuuri stood on the ice, ready to start for his free skate.

He placed 3rd. A bronze medal hung around his neck and the JSF welcomed him in the national team as one of the best novice skaters. Yuuri smiled brightly and a photographer caught a wonderful, according to his mother, picture of him crying over the certificate and the medal around his neck with Yuuko’s mom and Minako standing proudly next to him.  
For Yuuri, it was the start of his official career as a skater and after he brought home a medal, the kids in his school didn’t try to bully him anymore.

* * *

Viktor was 7 when he first competed. Georgi and he competed in a Juvenile event at their home rink and Yakov had thrilled into them that they should show the other pushoffs that they were worth something. It thrilled Viktor to show off that he had learned a lot in over a year under Yakov’s teachings.

Viktor took matters in his own hand and had listened through a whole staple of audiotapes that Yakov had provided him and he choose a simplified version of  _‘Once Upon a December’_  
Too bad that Lilia liked that piece of music because she chose that he would make a great pupil and sent him through the ballet hell. It scared him for life.

But it worked. Unlike Georgi, Viktor had a natural graceful attitude and was able to display it on the ice. He had talent where others needed to train countless hours and it gave fruits.  
Yakov sent him to more and more local competition around Saint Petersburg and in his third year, he became a novice, already going to national competition instead of local.

Viktor didn’t wait for Georgi to catch up. He always liked his ‘brother’ but then, on the other hand, ice skating gave him much more joy than talking to the other boy in his dorm room. Georgi struggled to keep up with the speed that Viktor took in his development.

The teacher of Russia’s new hope in the figure skating scene was impressed that the young boy kept up with his fellows in school. Viktor was everything, but not dump. He would get his certification with top grades so he could concentrate on skating. That’s what he aimed for even if it meant that homework needed to wait until after practice.

The only thing he lacked was social skills. He still felt awkward about his grayish long hair and he didn’t like the stares he got because of his exotic looks. But some of his classmates were tolerable and they bonded over the fact that they wanted to become athletes and compete on international level. They were like their own small group because together they were stronger than alone, even if they didn’t like each other that much, they still were found around whenever they had time off class or training.

Viktor’s first international novice competition was in France. The Coupe of Nice was a big event and with his 11 years, he wasn’t the youngest but still in the younger half of the competitors.  
The piece he skated to was something that reminded him of his grandparents. He had learned that grandfather had died shortly after he came to the orphanage, but the time they had together… He enjoyed winter with them the most.

 _‘Russian Winter’_ was the piece he skated to in his free and he loved it. His moves showed the fun and the good time he had whenever his grandparents were out with him and afterward enjoying a hot cup of tea with jam in it.

For Viktor was his first gold. He enjoyed winning because he felt that he finally showed the world that he was worth it. He would fight, maybe not in the traditional Russian way, no people kept saying that he was too soft, but he would fight his fellow competitors for gold.


	3. Coach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri needs a coach and Viktor is rebelling against Yakov

Yuuri was saddened when Yuuko’s parents declared that they couldn’t be his coaches anymore. It was easy for them to close the rink a weekend at the beginning of a season but they needed to tend to their own business. The JSF didn’t take it well that Yuuri didn’t want to compete for one the international stage during his novice time, just so one of them could come with him.  
But he wanted to advance to juniors, now that he turned 13 in the next season.

It was a hard time for him because he needed to attract scouts and coaches in every competition and with this, he needed to place high. His scores were over the roof, being already able to jump doubles and, to astonishment many, a triple axel. It was a hard jump and it frowned that a novice would jump triples.  
A lot of Japanese coaches asked to coach them, and in extension, his parents, but Minako took over as his mentor. She checked every single offer for the Katsuki family. His parents weren’t that well versed with anything in being an athlete and the needs of one and they trusted Minako.

Not a single offer was enough for her. She often frowned, hidden points in the offers made her growl at dickishness of some of these coaches. Others just offered to coach him through the juniors but she knew it wasn’t suitable for Yuuri, who needed an emotional bond to those who taught him.  
With every offer that came per mail Yuuri hoped more, but as soon as Minako snatched the papers and shook her head he was deflated. He knew, taking a year off or training another year in novice class wouldn’t do him any good. He placed high nationally, high enough to set national records because of the quality of his programs.

He was muffled when he reached the last event in Sapporo, a novice tournament that invited any skater in the right age to compete.  
Yuuri skated a choreography he made together with Minako to the music ‘ _Moonlight Sonata_ ’. She liked that piece of music because they could use a lot of ballet in there and it was a bit more on the dramatic side. Even if Yuuri’s jumps still lacked the stability and he sometimes still fell on the easier one, his performance points were good. Good enough to keep him high in the novice class to be called a wonder-child in skating.

Yuuri hated the title.

It didn’t fit him, he wasn’t a wonder child, he just spent every awakening hour on the ice, when he wasn’t at school or at home doing school stuff. His parents made it possible for him to live his dream and he wanted to hold it in honor with winning. The raven haired boy loved to come home with another medal around his neck and getting an extra-large bowl of Katsudon.  
Yuuko often called him a junkie and somehow it was true. He couldn’t get enough from the ice, couldn’t get enough of the music that made its way into him whenever he skated his routine countless times.

It helped him to lose some of his stage fright. He wouldn’t get an anxiety attack before, or after, every competition anymore. They were still there, but not as bad as they used to be at the beginning.

The Sapporo event was his field. He listened as one of Japan’s best upcoming skaters and he would prove it to every scouting coach there.

Yuuri was glad that slowly the baby-fat in his face disappeared. It gave him a more impressive outlook with his midnight-blueish costume that was sprinkled with almost as dark glitter, interrupted by white dots. It looked like a night sky and fitted to the name of the music.

The music started and the young skater flowed with it, slowly gaining speed and going in for the first sit spin. The music picked up a fast pace and the jumped out of his spin and throw himself in a triple axel – double loop combination. It was way too advanced and he stumbled a bit after the double loop but he caught himself with a fast touch down and skated. A rapid step sequence followed, a bit edgy and roughly done because it still used a lot of energy to do so but then the music reached another calmer part.

Double Lutz.

The audience applauded with every jump well done and he allowed himself to relax a bit more. He had to remind himself that no one would bite his head off if he didn’t do well. He should have fun, nothing more and nothing less.

A single flip and right into a camel spin that picked up in speed and he went down into a faster paced sit spin and slowly, with the receding music he resolved back into a standing position, striking his final position with an arm stretched upwards to an imaginary sky.

Gold hung around his neck and Yuuri smiled proudly into the cameras. Afterwards, he went to Minako and Mari who had accompanied him this time. Minako took over as his temporary coach and talked to a tall man with reddish brown long hair that was bound in a ponytail. Yuuri got his hair ruffled from his sister who was happy for her brother reaching high in something he loved. She wasn’t jealous that she would eventually have to take over in the onsen and that he wouldn’t be there to help.

“Do you know who he is?” Yuuri asked Mari who shrugged.

“Some big shot coach from America. Minako seemed to be impressed with him. I think they are talking about you, but it is in English and I am not fluent. I just hear your name here and there.” She said and Yuuri looked wide eyed to the discussing adults.  
His ballet instructor seemed to notice him and called him over. He took place next to her and she introduced him to Celestino Cialdini, a former figure skater himself who just became an official coach and was on the search for promising talents.

Yuuri greeted the man in the little English he could speak and Minako quickly told him that Celestino offered him to be his coach. Naturally, Yuuri’s eyes shone in the hope that someone was convinced that he would make a good skater. The adults talked a bit more and Minako nodded. Then they parted and Yuuri was eager to know what happened.

The young skater needed to wait until they were back at Yutopia. Minako told them about the offer that Celestino made, he would take Yuuri as a student and coach him as long as he wanted. A sport-stipend would wait for him.  
But there was a catch. He would have to move to Detroit and needed a guardian there for everything official like applying to school and other things. Living in America wasn’t cheap, most of it would be covered by the stipend but the family would have to pay some of the fees.

It was a long discussion. A lot of tears from Hiroko’s side that her baby wanted to move, some from Yuuri that he would need to leave his family behind to progress as a skater. They never thought that he would move outside of Japan. If he had stayed there he would be able to come home once or twice in a year, but he would need to stay in America to develop more in his skating, even during breaks.  
The Katsuki family came to an agreement when Minako offered to act as Yuuri’s guardian. They trusted her enough, knowing each other since Hiroko and she were just kids.

Two months later Yuuri had packed everything necessary and it was already shipped to the apartment he would share with Minako until he would live in the dorms there when he went to middle school. He had to take English classes after regular lessons to be on par with his peers. It helped a lot that Yuuri was good with languages.  
Yuuko and Takeshi even threw him a small party at Ice Castle.

It was hard to say good bye for a long time. Yuuri and Hiroko cried, even Mari whipped away some tears. Toshiya was proud that his son was about to make a big step and wished him the best.  
The plane ride took forever.

And then…

Detroit greeted him on its friendliest side, welcoming him to his new home.  
They brought the last bags to the apartment, and even if he was tired Yuuri wanted to visit his new home-rink.  
And he knew, even if it wasn’t home, it could become close to it. He wouldn’t be able to come whenever he wanted, but Celestino had told him that he could come every time to the opening hours.

Detroit would be the place where he could start his junior career!

* * *

Viktor knew he was Yakov’s favorite and he played that card well and drove his poor coach nuts. The silver haired boy was a brilliant skater and all, but his choice in music and style was sometimes questionable and they often fought over the stupidest things. Yakov felt like he had lost all control over the teen whenever Viktor had something in mind.

Well, the boy was Viktor extra Nikiforov.

With every stupid thing that the boy did Yakov could swear that he could see his hair falling out.  
Like once when Viktor decided to get blue hair dye and dyed the tips of his ridiculously long hair.  
He didn’t sign up for this. Where was the sweet child that he took with him?

The only one who seemed to have put a leash on the boy was Lilia. Viktor seemed to be scared of her, jumping when she demanded it and there was no back talking.

“He can back talk when he brings home gold in seniors.” She often snipped at Yakov and the poor man didn’t know how to respond on that. What would he give for a well-behaved student that would listen to his words without complaining.

_Meanwhile, a certain raven-haired teen sneezed, having to stop the spin he trained to whip his nose._

He really hoped that Viktor was just rebellious because whenever it came to actual skating he was all ears for bits of advice and improvements.

Whenever school-break came Viktor lived with him because Georgi would go home to his parents. Viktor seemed to be the loneliest than and would only come out of his room for training, food, and stroll in the near park.  
For Yakov, it made sense that his pupil seemed to rebel for attention. Viktor loved the spotlight whenever he was able to get it, but then… did it really fill the gap that was there? He didn’t know, and he really didn’t want to learn about it. The boy would learn to deal with it himself.

Even if it meant that he would do the strangest things for a young Russian teenager.


	4. Of rivals and puberty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor's bragging bites him and puberty is your worst enemy.

Yuuri fidgets with his costume. It was his first time on international stage. Salzburg hosted the second event of the JPG, his first international event at all, and he was about to go to the rink. He was a nervous wreck but the steady hand of Minako and another from his coach Celestino on his shoulders calmed him enough not to break down right there.

The flight to Austria was bad enough, he hardly could sleep through it and the jet-lag was even worse. Minako had to kick him literally out of bed to get ready and the dark bags under his eyes spoke of his lack of sleep.

For his short program, Yuuri planned a choreography to Rachmaninoff’s  _‘Liebesleid’._ He chose the song early in the summer practice with Celestino as a reminder that he just left his family and a piece of his heart back in Hasetsu. Minako had called him being dramatic when they started to choreograph a suitable routine to the music but he waved her in a brave moment off.  
It wasn’t easy to actually plan out the end of his skate but after try and error, they found a striking end pose that should be unforgettable.

During his whole skate, he thanked his family again and again for giving him the chance to be here today, competing with so many skaters he didn’t know before.  
He got to know Stéphane Lambiel, an older junior skater who would soon change to seniors, who wished him luck for his career, and many other. They exchanged a few words during practice and afterward.

Yuuri placed 3th after his short program. He was surprised that he placed that high in his first international skate ever. But then… he had refined his doubles all summer long and started to learn some of the triples, adding combination jumps into his program.

On the other side of the rink, the Russian delegation waited for their turn. Yakov growled at Viktor to behave because the young Russian skater was excited. They had watched the uprising Japanese boy and he gave off bad vibes. Yakov knew that with the right handling the Japanese skater would be able to beat Viktor if they didn’t watch him. Most of all the steps were too advanced for a regular junior skater and Lilia wasn’t in a good mood since she saw the choreographer of Yuuri Katsuki.

“Bah! Japan is bringing out the big guns. But the boy is still too fat for an ideal danseur.” She had growled and left to wait at the Kiss & Cry without any explanation. Yakov frowned at that but Viktor proofed that he was the better skater at this event. With hardly 2 points over Japan’s new hope, Viktor placed 3rd after the short program and celebrated it like a young teen would do it. With blowing a raspberry at the others. Russia’s top coach scolded his trainee and lectured him over behavior in public.

Viktor was a bit too noisy for his own good. During practice day between the short and free skate, he watched the other skaters and picked the struggling Japanese boy out of the crowd. Yuuri, he remembered the name from Yakov warning about the other skater, flubbed a triple flip after another. Viktor liked the jump and it itched him to tell the boy he should watch and learn.

Well, he didn’t tell him, but he demonstrated a perfectly executed triple flip right in front of the Japanese skater. He ignored Yakov’s jelling in favor for a smirk he threw the dark haired boy before he went back to his own practice.

Yuuri was confused why the other skater wouldn’t watch where he was going until he realized that Russia’s upcoming skater did it on purpose. Yeah, he had flubbed the flip two times (actually 5 times but who counts) but he also knew that he kind of flubbed most of his jumps when gets nervous and nervous he was. He needed to rank either higher or risk that he has to place second in his second JGP event and placing second with seasoned junior skaters in the run wasn’t really what he needed for his own mental health.

Still, it was rude. Normally he wouldn’t hold a grudge against someone, he just wasn’t the type of person to be angry because of some childishness, but this time he sent a heated glance at the other boy and muttered some curses he picked up in school.  
Minako asked him what got him in a frenzy but dropped it as soon as she saw Yuuri glaring at the Russian competitor.

“Picking up a rival? That is something new, Yuuri-chan.” She teased but it got her a dark face from her care. She chuckled, maybe it was a phase but it was good that Yuuri would try to beat the other kid. It surely gave him a kick in motivating himself.

And how it motivated Yuuri. He might not pick a fight physically but he certainly would pick one on the ice and even if the song to  _‘My Neighbor Totoro – The path of the wind’_  was a rather calm and collected song Yuuri showed the Russians with a perfectly executed triple flip that he was indeed able to land the jump, thank you very much. And yes, he took ballet classes while doing figure skating because look how he could bend in that Biellman spin.

Viktor was outdone by his own cockiness. He watched wide eyed how Japan’s skater stepped on his ego and ripped it apart.

“Dammit Vitya, you had to make yourself an enemy this early in your career. Well done.” Yakov growled and sent out his own skater for his own performance.

Yuuri beat Viktor by 4 points in the overall result, taking home bronze. It left the Russian boy with a bitter taste in his mouth because he needed to poke the sleeping dog and it bit him right in the ass.

For Yuuri it meant that he was one step closer to the JGPF, needing to place 3rd or better in his second event.

Yuuri didn’t make the cut to the finals but it wasn’t that bad. There were still other competitions he could join but he wasn’t happy that Viktor made it and actually placed 4th in his first final.

Viktor Nikiforov

Well, he would remember the name. They would fight for the medals for sure in future, and Yuuri wouldn’t easily give up. That certainly wasn’t his nature.

*’*

The next season started badly for the raven haired boy. Puberty decided to hit him full force and he actually lived through some of the nastiest growth spurs one could imagine. And that also meant that he needed to relearn his programs. Falls and angry growling were heard a lot these days in Detroit’s rink and the young Japanese teen struggled to get his limbs moving the way he wanted to. Countless hours training ‘till deep in the night made sure that he was able to compete this season at all.

This time he didn’t share an assignment with Viktor, something he was actually glad about because the other skater would have beaten him into the ground.  
It went even worse with his second event. Since a while, he had problems to focus his sight and it resulted in headaches most of the time. Somehow, he managed to place 3rd but after that, he went to oculist who testified him that he would need glasses. Yuuri sighed at the thought of his whole family is cursed with bad eyesight, but somehow Mari managed to escape the Katsuki-glasses-curse.

Minako called him playfully a nerd.

He had no problems with taking his glasses off during practice when he didn’t need to actually focus on something, but contacts were out of the question. They made him feel uncomfortable and his eyes were always itchy when he tried so he stuck to the half-rimmed blue glasses.

With that problem out of the world, he was ready to face off Viktor in the first JGPF he would take part in.

**

For Viktor puberty seemed to be good. He grew steady at a slow pace taller and needed little to no time to adjust his skating. The worst part was his skates not fitting anymore and he had to go through 3 pairs until summer passed.

He was more shocked about the fact that his rival, he called Yuuri his rival, showed up on the final, slightly taller than him and the baby fat all gone. He looked more like an Asian beauty and if you ask Viktor later when he knew he was gay, then he would say the moment the messy dark haired boy, with the blue glasses and twinkling reddish brown eyes looked at him, giving him a gruff nod before he vanished between the other skaters.

Viktor watched how Yuuri skated his short program to a waltz, overall an elegant and exciting program but he was the Japanese teen struggling with his own body, and it resulted in a flubbed triple toe and a needed touch down after a double salchow.

When Viktor came up, he responded in his way to the waltz. Somehow they knew what the other would choose, so he had prepared a fiery salsa. The costume fitted perfectly well with the Spanish flair and his long-hair. It was all black, part of it nearly see-through and the half skirt, added with the gemstones was meant for a genderless usage. It was easy for him to dance the salsa, changing from the imaginary leading part to the one who was led. It was a sensual routine he made up and Yakov always yelled at him when he went overboard but the judges liked it.

His free skate was a bit more tamed. Viktor skated to ‘ _The lilac fairy’ of_  ‘ _The sleeping beauty’_  in a blue leafed costume. He actually wore a crown of roses that was secured in his hair and gave him the flair of a fantasy prince. It earned him the nickname of Russia’s Ice Prince.

It was the first JGPF that he won. He had beaten his rival with over 20 points and Yuuri placed 3rd. Viktor was proud over his victory and showed it to the press with the brightest smile he could muster.

*’*

_“… let’s change the topic for a moment, Jules! There is a rumor going on between Japan’s high scoring Junior skater Yuuri Katsuki, he is struggling a lot this season but did you see the step sequences he throws out like nothing? – and Viktor Nikiforov, Russia’s own junior.”_

_“Indeed I did! Viktor, the next competitor, by the way, was rumored to have insulted Katsuki early in their junior career and ever since then they are throwing each other heated glances. There is something going on Johnny! Nikiforov should beat Katsuki’s astonishing 149,67 points after a free skate that left you breathless if he wants to win Worlds!”_

_“’The lilac fairy’ is a breakthrough in Viktor’s fresh career. He managed to win the JGPF and was close to breaking the junior’s record. Let’s remind, both Nikiforov and Katsuki are only 14 and I think we can see amazing things from both! I mean, look at Katsuki slashing everyone with this bladed shoes! He needs to refine his jumps but then? Nikiforov will not be able to hold a candle to Japan’s very own cutie!”_

“Japan’s very own cutie.” Mari snorted when she translated the commentator's word for her parents.  
It was the first time in a while that the Katsuki family could actually watch a live coverage of their youngest member in TV. It seemed like whole Hasetsu has gathered to watch their hero compete.

“That kid isn’t our Yuuri. He is… well…” Nishigori mumbled when they showed the skaters warm up and the subtitles showing the names of the skater that the camera focused on. Yuuko giggled at him.

“He looks damn hot.” She said to provoke her boyfriend who puffed his cheeks in protest.

“They aren’t feeding him enough,” Hiroko mumbled and got a good laugh from both Toshiya and Mari.

“Don’t worry Katsuki-san, Yuuri-kun is in the perfect shape for a figure skater right now.” Yuuko’s mother said and nearly all girls in Yuuri’s age nodded in agreement. Good shape indeed.

“But it seems like he needs glasses. Poor Yuuri.” Yuuko told them when she registered the blue framed glasses on the raven-haired teen’s nose. The Katsuki parents nodded. Mari was the only one lucky enough to not need them.

“Shhhh! His program is about to begin!”

* * *

Yuuri did better at Worlds. By far. He had used the time between the JGPF and Junior Worlds to go on several smaller events and training his routines whenever he hadn’t to go to school. Minako was a great help in the task to gain back his control and it showed.

Second place after his short was good, his rival had placed 5th because this time around it was him struggling with a growing body.

But that wasn’t what worlds made memorable for Yuuri. No, it was the meeting with an upcoming young skater from Swiss who came to watch, thanks for the fact that Bern was the hosting city for worlds. Christophe Giacometti was a force. The boy was just two years younger than Viktor and him and would compete with them next year, but Chris demanded attention, even if it was still on an innocently way. The boy from Swiss was impressed by both Yuuri and Viktor for aiming high and declared that he would like to get to know the two skaters that would soon look up to him on the podium.

It wasn’t arrogant because all the time Chris said it in a playful manner, joking that they could reserve the first three places just for them. It was easy for the normally introverted Japanese teen to laugh at Chris’ jokes and just be himself around the younger boy.

Yuuri didn’t mind that Chris became friends with Viktor, who had beaten him yet again in worlds by 0.7 points difference between their scores because he knew he couldn’t forbid the kid to get to know more skaters. And Chris would certainly enjoy both their company when they met again.

Yuuri could only hope after this season that the next would be more on his side.


	5. Disasters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything seems to go to hell but there is that certain rival that doesn't want to see you down.

Yuuri’s first success in the JGP was in Austria and in Italy shortly before he turned 15. For the first time in his whole international career, he beat Viktor by a handful of points in both events.

Minako had cried when she saw his tribute of  _Swan Lake, Op. 20: No.2 Valse_ by Tchaikovsky, using his years of ballet to show the world a danseur on ice. It was a difficult long program and he really didn’t like the feathery costume that Celestino had ordered for him because the feathers ruffled up in every jump. His step sequences were to the point perfect and, even if his jumps still lacked accuracy that Viktor could muster he still beat his rival with his interpretation, choreography, and performance.

His third year in juniors and he was finally able to beat Russia’s little prince from his high horse. His anxiety didn’t get in his way this year at the JGPF and so he skated a wonderful short program, based on the theme ‘ _The beginning of all_ ’ to Mascagni’s ‘ _Cavallleria Rusticana: VII. Intermezzo’,_ letting his thankfulness to Minako and Yuuko’s parents who taught him to dance, to dance on a solid and frozen ground, go into his entire program. For him it was like all the hard hours he spent with them, finally showing the skills that he had honed under them. And he showed his sadness over the fact that Yuuko’s parents had to give up as his coaches. It also showed how he got the chance to expand and bloom under Celestino’s teachings. He skated in a costume that looked like he was dancing to ballroom instead of ice skating. It went neatly with his intention to show his roots with actual dancing.

The judges liked it.

He went firs after his short program with 78, 93 points, 0, 87 points over Viktor’s own short program score. Yuuri had cheered with Celestino and Minako; both were sitting with him in the Kiss & Cry as his coach and choreographer.

The young Japanese skater was happy about his score but knew, and that’s where his anxiety kicked in, that he could still flub his free skate. The heated glance of Viktor made him shiver and fear about his place as a gold medal favorite. The silver haired teen would give Yuuri a hard time to win on his own turf in Moscow.

Viktor’s long program made Yuuri run for his money because Viktor executed every jump in his performance to Sergei Prokofiev’s ‘Romeo and Juliet -  Dance of the Knights’ with precision and the performance was beautiful and strong to the beginning, where most of Viktor’s more difficult jumps were timed and then getting softer with more choreography. His difficulty for the jumps was higher than Yuuri’s own program.  The costume looked like Viktor was a royal guard in flashy red and black, a soldier that would give his best to protect his charge.

It was time that Yuuri threw himself into his spins and steps. He gave his whole soul to the ice, skating with every fiber that his teenage body could muster without hurting him in the process. It was a good thing that quads were frowned upon in juniors until the skaters went into their late teens and couldn’t damage their bodies that much because of them anymore. If Viktor would have pulled a quad it would have beaten Yuuri’s program by far, but this time Yuuri was a beautiful swan, ending his program breathless and happy. It was the most he ever gave in a performance and even with Viktor’s lingering gaze he could feel in his neck when he left the rink to go to Celestino and Minako he knew he had done well. Minako had beamed at him and literally pushed him on his chair at the Kiss & Cry, telling the young skater that his performance was top notch and that the Russia could go home, pun intended.

154, 65 points

The arena exploded in applause because Yuuri did not only break his personal best, he broke Junior's world record in the free skate.

The raven haired teen blinked. Once, twice, still not believing what’s going on. He was hugged by Celestino and Minako and pulled up to the podium that was already on the ice.

He won.

His total score was 233, 58 points which gave him the position of leading the board in combined total for juniors. He reached his first-way point to be one of the best skaters that represented Japan and had blown it away like nothing. A slowly nervous smile was on his lips. He still couldn’t believe it and he would still squint at the monitors to see his score if he could but the gold medal on his neck was statement enough.

And he knew that his mother would cook him the katsudon bowl he deserved for this win when he returned to Japan. Neither Viktor’s sour face nor a rabid group of paparazzi could ruin his good mood right now. Yuuri was never proud of himself, his anxiety and low self-esteem always kept him on the ground, but he was proud to taking home gold, to show the world that a nerdy boy from a small town like Hasetsu could live his dream to its fullest. He worked hard in school, on and off the ice to reach this point in his dream.

For Viktor, on the other hand, it was a disaster. People had hope that he would win gold on his home turf. Yakov was still proud that he was second, proud enough to give him a nod and a pat because Katsuki beat him by mere 1, 34 points, and god damn the Japanese teen could bend in a Biellmann and Viktor was sure he would break a leg if he tried step sequences as complicated as the raven haired skater’s, but still… It left a bitter taste on his tongue that he just placed second. Moscow should have been his. He didn’t deny that Yuuri’s programs were beautifully executed and he respected his rival for going out like that, bearing his soul on the ice and so on…

Viktor’s own bitterness was not only expressed in heated glances at anyone who tried to talk to him after they had gotten their medals. No, his exhibition skate that was scheduled 2 hours after the main event, showed his inner angsty teen to everyone. He felt lonely and not heard. Yakov was his guardian and all but not a parent or friend he could open up to. Georgi had own problems, whining after a girl in their school and not really caring about anything that was going on with Viktor and Viktor himself felt trapped. Skating was all he still had.

Simple Plan’s “I am just a kid” roared through the stadium and his normally smooth and elegant skating was hard and edgy, marking his point that he felt misunderstood and alone. Viktor had put his long hair under a beany, looking like a stereotype American teen with baggy trousers and an ordinary printed shirt. It didn’t really meet his taste in clothes but it would go well with the song.

He watched his rival’s exhibition too. The Japanese teen wore a blue variation of his short program costume, instead of the black tuxedo this one was in a light shade of blue with matching pants. “ _Here I am_ ” from Bryan Adams rolled smoothly through the arena, announcing that Yuuri finally found his place in the world. Viktor could see it, how his rival would grow, grow into a fine skater that would make his folks proud. Yuuri had all the support one could wish for and a streak of jealousy went through the silver haired teen.

He just had Yakov, and Yakov just wanted to be his coach.

Viktor was tense for the rest of the evening. He didn’t care that the senior skaters drank like bottomless holes during the gala, Yakov had forbidden him even to look at one of these champagne flutes. He watched how Yuuri talked to someone younger than him, a blond boy with locks, the jacket told him that the boy was from Swiss. Did he compete? He watched how Stephane Lambiel walked up to them and turned around. Stephane most likely competed in his first or second-year seniors and the boy might have come with him, to ‘taste competition air’.

“Viktor Nikiforov?” someone asked behind Viktor and he turned around, confused why someone would talk to him. He had given everyone the cold shoulder and only when Yakov called him for some sponsors he would respond.

“Yeah?” He snapped, turning to the stranger. A tall man with a steely blue eyed gaze and gray (?) hair stared down at him, a woman at his side and a young boy placed in front of him who looked up to Viktor in awe. The Russian skater was confused, the man didn’t look like the average sponsor, the tux far too expensive and sponsors normally don’t come with family.

“I don’t know if you know me, Viktor, but I am Alexander Nikiforov. I am your father.” The man said and Viktor blanched. That was bad. For him, his only parent was his mother that died accordingly his grandparents one year after his birth. And his grandparents died when he turned 6. After that Yakov became his father figure and Georgi his brother.

“I don’t have a father.” He growled at the man. They bared similarities, now that  Viktor took another moment to study the tall man. It doesn’t mean that this man had the right to call himself his father.

“Now, now, Viktor. I know Katya might have never told you about me…”

“My mother died one year after my birth! You don’t have a right to drag her name in the mud.” Viktor snapped in a hushed tone. He didn’t need the others at the banquet to listen to their conversation. He stood against the angry glare that the older Nikiforov sent to him like a brave soldier. The orphanage, the dorm, school, even Yakov taught him that Russia was unforgiving and that its people were like this too. Even if they call him too soft for Russia Viktor still knew how to stand his point. He could fight, he would if necessary and got ready.

“Don’t you dare to speak like that to me, young man. I am still your father…” Alexander growled back and sent his wife and youngest son to get some snacks.

“On the paper and by name. You lost the right to be my father when I was left alone in an orphanage somewhere in nowhere!” Viktor nearly screamed at the man.

The effect was there. Viktor’s outburst got the attention of some of the other skaters and coaches and they looked at him worried, but soon turned back to their own businesses. Only one other skater was curious in what was going on and turned around. Viktor didn’t see that his rival gave him a concerned look.  
Yuuri didn’t like the situation that Viktor was in. He tugged at Celestino’s sleeve, his coach being busy to get a new sponsor on the hook.

“I need to visit the bathroom, coach.” He mumbled, slightly uncomfortable that he lied to get away from them.

“Oh, I am sorry Yuuri, I know it is your banquet and you should enjoy it a bit.” Ciao Ciao said and dismissed him. Yuuri sighed and shook his head with a slight smile. It seemed like Celestino hadn’t really listened to him.

Yuuri observed the situation and searched for Chris. The younger Swiss skater was somewhere too and could be useful if the situation should get ugly. He found the other with his coach and Chris seemed to be bored out of his mind.

“Hey, Chris!” Yuuri called the younger skater who perked up and smiled brightly at him.

“Yuuri! Coach, I go with Yuuri!” Chris said and stormed over.

“I thought I would die of boredom. I thought these parties are supposed to be fun.” The blonde whined and Yuuri shook his head.

“They are only fun when the senior skaters are getting dead drunk but they don’t start before we normally go. Chris, I need your help. You see Viktor over there?” Yuuri asked and the blond nodded thoughtfully.

“He doesn’t look happy. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, but it seems to get worse. Can you try to find Viktor’s coach? You know, old, grumpy, not much hair left? He should be somewhere near. I try to get them calmed down.”

“You are really going to jump in the middle of the heat? Wish you luck, buddy.” Chris mumbled and went to look after Yakov. Yuuri was strangely calm. It didn’t bother him that he would get into an argument, but he knew that sometimes even a stupid rivalry had to end to help the rival out. Viktor was red-faced and clearly angry. The man, that looked a lot like his fellow skater, was clearly shaking in the same anger but seemed to be a bit more controlled about it.  
So he went in. He had zero experience as a mediator but sometimes it had to be a first time.

“Sir, you are attracting unwanted attention. Is there a reason to fight with my fellow skater? The banquet should be a fun time for us competitors.” Yuuri interrupted calmly and two pairs of steely blue eyes snapped at his direction. Viktor seemed to be grateful that he came because a lot of tension left the skater that very moment.

“I am sorry, you are?” The man snapped and Viktor growled beside Yuuri.

“Yuuri Katsuki. The gold medalist of this event and a  _friend_  of Viktor’s.” The raven haired teen said, mustering all bravery to not flinch away from the icy glare.

“You lost to someone like him, Viktor? I am embarrassed.”

“I don’t care if you are embarrassed. You are NOT my father for all that matters. My coach is my guardian and I am honored that Yuuri of all people bet me. He trained hard and long to be able to claim gold. I respect that.” Viktor snapped, finally having enough of that man’s nonsense.

Enter Yakov and Chris. The young Swiss skater had gathered a whole entourage of coaches and ISU officials behind him. Yuuri was glad that Christophe had a good timing.

“Hello. I am Yakov Feltsman and Viktor’s coach. I would like to know why you fight with my pupil?” Yakov questioned the man. The junior skaters were hushed away and the grown-ups sorted the argument out.  
Viktor took a deep breath and for the first time since they met, he felt like he could trust the Japanese skater.

“Thank you.” He whispered, suddenly tired from the fight.

“Hey! I helped you too!” Chris pouted and Viktor chuckled. He ruffled the younger boys hair and thanked him too, only to get a huff from the Swiss teen.

“What happened at all? You looked really angry?” Chris asked and Yuuri was grateful that he didn’t need to ask. The younger boy was good in keeping their conversation rolling.

“That  _man_ ”, Viktor spat, “kept saying that I am his son and he would like for me to come home. He would make me his heir for a company and so on. I don’t have a father.”

“Well, biologically you need one, but I understand what you mean. But that couldn’t be all to get you so angry?” Yuuri pried in and Viktor nodded.

“He told shit about my mother and that I should stop skating. It wouldn’t suit a Nikiforov.”  
Chris and Yuuri gasped. For all three of them skating was their whole life and to demand from them to suddenly stop was something that could fire back. Naturally, they understand Viktor’s anger and Yuuri had the urge to hug the other teen. He patted Viktor’s back and all of the sudden the other shook and silent tears ran down his face. Chris joined their hug and tried to calm his friend down and even Yuuri didn’t like to see his rival in that wounded state.

“I always wanted a family! Always! But not that way. Not being forced, or bad mouthed. I… I just can’t keep this up! Yakov can only do as much as he does… Georgi is always crying after some girl. I feel so lonely….” The silver haired teen mumbled in his rival’s neck and Yuuri understood what Viktor lacked. A friend… or at least someone to talk to. He knew that feeling all too well, having to leave behind Yuuko and Takeshi, only being able to phone them whenever he felt too lonely. He often missed his parents and his sister. Sometimes he had cried too, feeling like everyone had left him. But Minako had come with him. She was the constant reminder that thanks to her and his friends and family he could live his dream.

“Give me your mobile” Yuuri demanded and Viktor finally pushed the Japanese skater away.

“Why?”

“Just give it to me!” He repeated and Viktor handed him his mobile. Yuuri pushed some buttons, saved his number and gave the phone back.

“Call me. Whenever you feel bad. Just remember that I live in America and like my sleep. You can text me too.” He explained and Viktor stared at him. Chris snatched the phone to, typing in his own number and happily smiling at the Russian teen.

“Viktor!” Yakov’s voice boomed and the teen jumped up, giving his saviors a last glance and a small smile. His eyes twinkled mischievously and he ran off back to his coach.  
Yuuri and Chris exchanged numbers too. Just for the fun of it and the Swiss junior skater was a nice companion. Then they left for their own coaches.  
Ciao Ciao patted him on the shoulder, just like for a job well done. Yuuri smiled at his coach and they left to the hotel. It was enough for one evening.

*#*

Junior worlds were in Russia too. This time the whole event was in St. Petersburg and Yuuri would see the home town of his rival for the first time.  
After qualifying for worlds at nationals Yuuri was happy to once again fight against Viktor. He hoped that the Russian had got back his competitive streak because he wouldn’t let this win be easy.

The disaster started at the airport. Their flight was delayed for twelve hours and as soon as they could board a bad feeling crept up Yuuri’s skin.  
It showed itself in the form of missing suitcases. That moment was when Yuuri started to panic. His costumes! Literally, everything was in there that he needed for skating. Even his skates.

The airline offered to try everything in their might to get their luggage as fast as possible but that might cost Yuuri the practicing day. At least they had their passes for the competition or it would get ugly.

Their suitcases wouldn’t come in time. Celestino threw a fit and the poor worker was at the receiving end of an angry coach. For Yuuri, it was like the world ended. He would withdraw from the competition and he had promised Viktor to give his best at Worlds.  
And there was the anxiety attack. Yuuri sat in his hotel room, Celestino sitting in the chair next to the bed where Yuuri was. Suddenly he shook uncontrollably and tears welled up his eyes. His mind was running a thousand miles. Thoughts like ‘you deserved it.’ And ‘you got choky’ appeared from nowhere and kept eating on him. He even didn’t realize that Celestino had tried to get him out of it until the man shook him.

“Yuuri! Yuuri calm down. Everything is going to be ok. We just need a plan, okay! Stay with me, don’t let yourself down right now! You have a great season and you are going to finish it with a medal around your neck.” Celestino told him and the raven haired teen nodded weakly. His coach sighed and got Yuuri’s phone and dialed a number. He pressed the phone in Yuuri’s hand and he listened the weakly hooting until a familiar voice called his name.  
Minako had stayed back in America because she needed to do some work in the studio she worked at, but she told him he could call her whenever he needed it.

Yuuri broke down on her, talking in hushed Japanese that he felt like everything was crushing him and she kept denying him. Minako was good at the though-talking, kicking his ass over the phone.  
At least she got him to watch his fellow skaters the next day practicing.

Viktor was surprised that Yuuri wasn’t at the ice. Normally the Japanese junior was the first one to practice because the early hours gave him enough place for himself. He was concerned that his rival wouldn’t compete, even with the promise they’d made.  
He found the skater with the blue rimmed glasses sitting on a bench, looking miserable. His coach was talking to him, it seemed like they analyzed the others.  
Viktor took his chance to talk to Yuuri when coach Cialdini left for a moment.

“Yuuri! Why aren’t you on the ice!?” He asked playfully but the heated glance he got out of tired ice got him back.

“Because my skates and everything I own besides my backpack is on a plane somewhere around the world.” Yuuri snapped at him and immediately regretted it.

“I am sorry. I… My things might not come in time for me to compete.” He told the silver haired Russian who was shocked by that.

“That isn’t acceptable.” Viktor declared.

“And what should I do, in your opinion?!” Yuuri snapped again, this time he didn’t regret it as much as before.

“Ah! You forget that I live here! I can lend you my old costumes. I might as well have a pair of skates that are fitting you. I mean, you are a bit shorter than I am so something should fit. I know, lending skates are always bad, but better than nothing…” Viktor suggested and Yuuri looked at him like he was a ghost.

“You… Would you really lend me some of your things? I don’t know what to say… Viktor, are you sure? We are still rivals, you know?” Yuuri said and stressed the rival part. The Russian skater smiled brightly at him and nodded.

“Sure. Come, we are going now. Maybe you are able to practice a bit in the afternoon.”

At the end Yuuri had a costume for his short program, it was a simple one, black trousers, and a tux-look-a-like. It fitted. For his free skate he got the beautiful blue leaf-like patterned costume Viktor wore to the last year's program. It was the one that got Viktor his second win at the JGPF and Yuuri adored it. It also somehow fitted the princely theme of his Swan Lake music.  
But the skates bothered him. Viktor had indeed a somehow fitting pair but he wasn’t used to them and Viktor seemed to change his skates more often than him because the material was stiff as if it wasn’t used often.

Still, thanks to Viktor he could compete. It might not be perfect but Yuuri still wanted to give is best.  
Celestino was surprised but happy that his pupil took things in his own hand and found a temporary solution to the problem.  
This time Viktor took home gold, Yuuri placing only third after Chris who surprisingly had changed his short program to be able to hold up with his rivals/friends. Yuuri didn’t take it bad that he was topped by his junior, he had flubbed jumps that normally came naturally to him because of his hurting feet.

Disasters could happen every time. And sometimes it is good to help the other because in time oneself needs help people might be more helpfully. Yuuri learned his lesson and so did Viktor. Even with their rivalry still going on it felt like they grew through this. The next season already waited for them and they had promised each other, once again, give their best.


End file.
